


Not Yours to Give

by Kerry_0506



Category: Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011)
Genre: Angst, Brainwashing, Friendship, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Kidnapping, Missing Persons, Non-Consensual Drug Use
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-09
Updated: 2013-01-13
Packaged: 2017-11-13 21:23:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 11,334
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/507852
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kerry_0506/pseuds/Kerry_0506
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The team are assigned to help the FBI on a bizarre missing persons case, however when they become emotionally invested in the mission, it becomes clear that they are dealing with something far more twisted than they imagined.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

"Hey Nell!"

"Yeah?"

"What wassuh twelfth song they played at prom?" Jacinta turned to the guy she was trying to impress and winked. She then lifted her hand to cup around her mouth in a dramatic stage whisper. "Prom was eight years ago."

Eleanor sighed and walked across to the pair, rolling her eyes at her drunken best friend before speaking. "It was Step by Step."

"How the fuck are you able to remember that?" the guy asked. Eleanor couldn't remember his name; something like John or Joe or Jack. Well she probably could if she tried, but she's had a bit to drink and her mind was hazy. It didn't really matter anyway, seeing as she had no intention of seeing him again.

"Just got a good memory, I guess." Eleanor shrugged but Jacinta wasn't ready to let it drop.

"Uh-uh." She shook her head and placed her glass on the bar before standing to place her hands on Eleanor's shoulders. "She got this thing. This… whassit called? Eedatic… No… Pedantic… No that's not it…"

Eleanor clenched her teeth together and whispered. "Eidetic."

"Thassa one… Eidetic." Jacinta grinned goofily at the other girl before stumbling slightly. "She's alssso real good with numbers."

"Right, I think it's time you went home." Eleanor stated, hoping to save herself and her friend from further embarrassment. With a nod to 'nameless-guy', Eleanor grabbed Jacinta by the shoulders and pulled her towards the exit. Instead of getting a taxi, she decided to let her friend have some fresh air with a walk back to her apartment; besides, if Jacinta suffered any physical effects from her current intoxication, at least they wouldn't end up paying for the vehicle's clean up. It took about twenty minutes for them to reach Jacinta's home and, once she had tucked her friend into bed, Eleanor made her way back to her own apartment. Fortunately for her, she only lived around the corner so it was a short walk, however part way there, she suddenly felt the presence of someone behind her. Without looking back, she subtly picked up the pace, hoping to get home safely and realise that she was panicking unnecessarily. As she turned the corner into her street, she risked a quick glance behind her and found that there was no one there. Sighing, she smiled to herself before crossing the road to her home. Her heels clicked on the pavement as she walked up the path and seconds later a second set of footsteps joined her own. She felt her heart rate increase as she made to turn around, however a hand clamped down over her mouth and she immediately felt a sharp prick in her neck. Her self-defence training kicked in and she started to move but whatever she had been injected with was taking over her body too fast. Her eyelids closed and she fell into her attackers grasp.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o


	2. Chapter 2

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

"Eleanor Jeffries." Ethan pointed to the screen behind him where a photograph of a young woman with brown hair and green eyes was displayed. "She went missing four days ago from her home. No one saw her being taken and the last person who did see her was drunk."

Brandt raised his eyebrows. "Uh, Ethan, I understand that her disappearance is a concern and all, but this is a missing person's case. Surely the FBI or local police should be dealing with this, right?" He glanced to Benji and Jane who both nodded in agreement.

"It would be, however Eleanor is the tenth person to go missing in the last few weeks. All within a fifteen mile radius of each other." Ethan clicked the button in his hand and the screen changed to show ten photographs of, who the team assumed to be, the missing people. "Now the FBI wouldn't have asked for our help in this matter unless it was urgent. These people are disappearing at a drastic rate and Agent Sofia Matthews believes that they won't stop anytime soon."

"So how will we be able to help?" Benji asked, taking another bite of his sandwich.

"The main problem that the FBI has no clue as to why these people are being taken. Usually, when there is such a large amount of abductions, there is some common factor between the victims. Maybe they all have blonde hair or look like someone that the perp knows. Look at these people. We've got males, females, blondes, brunettes, tall people, short people. Nothing between them all is common. However they must be targeted for a reason."

"And that's where we come in." Jane stated, receiving a nod from their team leader.

"The FBI's aim is to stop whoever is doing this, however they can't stop them from abducting again until they know why these people are being taken." Ethan pressed the button again and the floor plan for a building appeared. "Now, while no one saw Eleanor being grabbed, a suspicious looking van was spotted leaving the area. The FBI tracked its registration plate to this building, which happens to fall right in the centre of all abduction sites. They believe that this may be where the perps are working from, although it may not be where they are keeping the hostages. If this is their base, then we think they might have information on why they are taking these people. It is our job to get in there and find out that information."

"Can't we just take them out there and then?" Jane asked. "Catch them and get them to tell us where they're keeping their victims."

"I doubt they would tell us that information. Our mission is not to stop these people, our mission is to find out why they are doing what they are doing and to assist the FBI in their investigation. We must be as covert and as quick as we can when retrieving the information. We want to be in and out as fast as possible and we don't want to alert them to either our or the FBI's presence. If they find out we're closing in, they might make a run for it and they could disappear completely."

"So how are we gonna run this?" Brandt asked, shifting on his spot.

"Brandt, you will remain on the outside of the building, keeping an eye out for any guards or people posing a risk. Jane, you will enter the building with me. We know that there is one security guard positioned near the room where the files are. It will be your job to-"

"Keep him distracted." She sounded rather deflated. It sometimes sucked being the only female on the team. One day they would make Brandt seduce the rich guy. "Fine."

"What am I doing?" Benji asked, eagerly awaiting his allocated job despite knowing full well what it would probably entail.

"You will be outside in the van, keeping a check on the security cameras, leading us into the correct room and making sure we are prepared for any potential threats."

"Right." Benji sounded almost as disappointed as Jane had. "Why am I always in the van?" He had a point. Since the Cobalt job, Benji hadn't had many opportunities to go undercover at all. While he loved being able to use his abilities on missions, he wouldn't have minded getting out once in a while.

"Because you're the best at what you do." Jane smiled at him.

"Yeah, wouldn't want anything happening to you now, would we?" Brandt gave him a wink and Benji wasn't able to hold back a small laugh.

"Fine, whatever. But if I get so much as a paper-cut in that van, I'm blaming you for jinxing me."

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o


	3. Chapter 3

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

"Everyone, this is Agent Sofia Matthews. These are agents Dunn, Brandt and Carter." Ethan made the introductions and once they were settled, they began to prepare for the mission. The FBI agent had dark hair that sat just longer than a bob and dark hazel eyes. The plan was that Agent Matthews would remain at the safehouse but stay in contact with the team should her assistance be required. Brandt had picked the codenames this time and everything was set; they managed to leave exactly on time, much to Ethan's relief. The drive took them about fifteen minutes, however they arrived soon enough and Brandt was the first to exit the vehicle. Pacing around to his designated spot and stopped, leaning against the wall and pulling out his phone to maintain his cover of an average pedestrian.

"Barton in position." He spoke casually into the mouthpiece and waited for the next movement. A few moments later, he spotted Ethan and Jane turning the opposite corner, walking along like a businessman and his female partner. Ethan carried a satchel over his right shoulder while Jane carried a small clutch to match her practical yet seductive outfit.

"Stark and Romanov entering." Ethan's voice came over the comms which was shortly followed by Benji's response.

"This is Banner. I am right where you want me." Brandt had to smile at the tech's comment; the Brit always liked to make the job more enjoyable. Well, as enjoyable as these things could be.

"Ok, let's do this." Jane's voice was hushed and the analyst could hear slight frustration at the thought of what she was about to do, however they knew they could count on her. They all had to do things they didn't particularly want to in this job. Like climbing up skyscrapers or jumping into computer arrays. Majority of the time, the person making them do these things was Benji – which Brandt was sure he thoroughly enjoyed – while he sat in the van or server room. Benji may have complained about always being stuck 'in the van'; however Brandt had a feeling that given the option of that and climbing the Burj Khalifa, he knew which the tech would choose.

He stood for some time listening to Benji mumbling things and giving Ethan directions; he even swore he heard him humming some David Bowie song for a few seconds, but the chatter cut out as Ethan entered the room where he would find the files. Everything fell silent for a few moments, each agent waiting with nervous anticipation for their leader to confirm their success. Jane was muttering in the background, keeping up the consistent flirting while simultaneously waiting for the signal that she could leave. After an agonising wait, they heard what they had been waiting for.

"File secured." Ethan spoke quietly and slid the folder into the satchel he held. Strolling casually yet hastily down the corridor, he was soon met by Jane, who took her place by his side as they made their way to the exit. "Banner, bring the van to the west entrance, we will meet you across the road."

There was no confirmation from the tech.

"Banner? Acknowledge." Still no response. The pair shared a glance as they walked outside and crossed the road, hoping that he was just busy. As they reached the pavement on the opposite side, Brandt joined them, the trio feeling a sense of relief that they had managed to get in and out without being seen, however Ethan was still bugged by Benji's silence. Turning to the others, he handed the satchel to Jane. "Keep hold of that and wait here. I'm gonna go see what's taking Banner so long. If anything happens or anyone suspicious approaches, go back to the safe house. We'll meet you there." With a nod from each teammate, Ethan took off down the street, following the path around the building to the side where Benji's van was. In the shadows that painted the far side of the courtyard, Ethan saw the vehicle sitting in the exact same spot where it had been before. Nothing seemed different, at least until Ethan rounded the van and noticed that the back doors were wide open. His heart rate increased and he pulled out his gun. Maybe someone had apprehended Benji and the tech made a run for it. But then again, there was copious amounts of expensive IMF technology in the van; there was no way on the planet Benji would up and leave it like that. He readied his weapon and counted to three before swinging around the door. As he did, he found himself to be aiming his gun at thin air. Benji was nowhere to be seen.

Glancing around the van, he saw items out of place and knocked down alongside broken pieces of equipment. The worst part was the blood on the edge of one metal box. This was not looking good. He approached the laptop Benji had been working on and lifted the top up slowly. On the screen was a jumble of letters that left Ethan completely baffled.

"1. Tpnfpof jt dpnjoh. Xjmm usz up gjhiu pgg. Jg tpnfuijoh ibqqfot, J ibwf b usbdlfs jo nz qpdlfu. J xjmm dbmm jg J dbo. Cfokj"

It looked like someone had hit the keyboard amidst the evident struggle; however something inside Ethan thought there was more to it than that. A voice in his ear made him jump slightly.

"Stark, is Banner with you?" it was Jane.

"No, he's not here." Ethan ran a hand over his face, his worry increasing by the second. Benji wouldn't have left the van with the equipment, let alone allow the equipment to be damaged. At least not intentionally. Something had happened.

"Stark, we've been looking at this file and there's something in here I think you should see." Brandt explained and Ethan understood.

"I'll bring the van around to you. Stay there." Closing the back doors, Ethan jumped into the driver's seat and started the engine, driving cautiously to find his remaining colleagues. As he turned the corner, he saw them and immediately noticed the grave looks on their faces. They climbed into the back of the van and Ethan saw them tense up at the sight inside.

"What the hell happened?" Jane asked, finding somewhere to sit. Brandt joined her, leaning over to look at the laptop screen.

"I got to the van and found it like this. Benji is missing." Ethan's voice was laced with concern at the statement. "What was it you wanted to show me?" He saw Brandt hold out the file and pulled over, grabbing the documents once the hand-break was on. He flipped open the file and saw photographs and names of all the missing people. But what caught his eye most was the highlighted sentences within their descriptions.

_"Eidetic Memory"_

_"Exceptional mathematical skills."_

"So the common factor is the skills that they have." Ethan spoke softly as he continued to read through each person's information. When he reached one profile, he froze. "Shit…"

"Yeah." Brandt nodded in the back, glancing down over Ethan's shoulder at the photograph of Benji. Highlighted was 'Unique Technical Abilities'. "They must have been watching him this whole time."

"And we led him straight to them. Practically handed him to them on a silver platter." The team leader let out a frustrated sigh and glanced out into the darkness. Surely this group couldn't have been so concealed that they slipped under IMF's radars; if someone had been following Benji, they should have noticed. They should have protected him. Even though Ethan knew it was not their fault, he felt responsible. He always felt responsible for his team; he was the leader and therefore presided over them. If anything happened to any one of them, he felt somewhat at fault for not preventing it. He was brought out of his reverie by Jane's voice.

"What the hell is that?" She was staring at the mash-up of letters on the screen of Benji's laptop.

"I have no idea. Part of me thinks there's more to it than a keyboard slam but maybe that's just wishful thinking." Ethan mused.

"Wait a second." Brandt spoke up, sitting down closer to the computer. "This isn't random. It's a message."

"Message?" Jane asked. "How can that be a message?"

"Benji and I were discussing various ways of coding messages in case it was needed on a mission. One of them was this thing where you pick a number and then whichever letter is needed, you move that many letters forward in the alphabet. See?" he pointed to the start of the message. "One. That means each of these letters follows the one in the message." The other two agents stared as he searched frantically for a pen and piece of paper before beginning to write. They watched his hand move faster than their minds could comprehend and moments later, he held up the answer to the riddle.

_"Someone is coming. Will try to fight off. If something happens, I have a tracker in my pocket. I will call if I can. Benji"_

Ethan shook his head in disbelief. Firstly, due to amazement that Benji had been quick witted enough to leave the message knowing that Brandt would be able to decode it. Secondly, that yet again, Benji deciding to bring along a piece of equipment that no one would have thought they'd need turned out to be a wise decision. They just hoped that they would be able to find him before anything happened.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o


	4. Chapter 4

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

As consciousness began to creep in from all angles, Benji felt the comfortable feeling of a mattress underneath his back and a soft pillow propping up his head. He could hear beeping and in the distance there was talking. As he let his eyes open and adjust to the light of the room, he noticed that he seemed to be in a hospital, judging from his surroundings. He even had a drip running into his hand. What on earth had happened? He couldn't remember anything from before waking up. His head was throbbing and he noticed that it was patched up; he assumed that whatever was underneath the bandage was causing his current pain and nausea.

There was the click of a lock and he turned to see the door opening. A doctor walked in and smiled at him, holding a clipboard in his hands.

"Welcome back Ryan." He said, kindly. "How are you feeling?"

"Ryan?" Benji asked, confusion taking over his entire being within a millisecond. "Who's Ryan?"

"Now, now, don't worry. This is usual when one sustains a head injury. Do you remember what happened?" Benji blinked a few times before remembering who he had been with.

"Ethan…" His voice came out as a barely audible whisper.

"Who's Ethan, Ryan?" the doctor asked.

"My friend. And Will and Jane too. Where are they?" Benji began to panic slightly. "I was with them earlier. I want to see them." The doctor gave a small laugh and shook his head.

"Ryan, I'm afraid you must be imagining things, but don't worry. It's perfectly normal after what you've been through."

"Been through?" Benji was utterly lost. Despite remembering being with his friends before waking up here, he still couldn't remember what had led him to do so.

"You were involved in a serious car accident." The doctor explained. "You were very lucky, however you sustained a nasty head injury. That is probably why you can't remember much."

"I couldn't have been in a car accident…" Benji mused. "Are my friends ok? If I was in a car crash they must have been with me."

"Ryan, I'm sorry but you must be confused. You were alone when the crash happened. My guess is you were overworked and you fell asleep at the wheel. Drifted into the wrong lane." Benji couldn't believe what he was hearing. He wouldn't believe it. He could not have been involved in a car crash and his name was certainly not Ryan.

"Look, I hate to sound rude, but I think you're the one who is confused." Benji spoke with his best authoritative tone, shifting so that he could sit upright. "My name isn't Ryan, it's Benjamin. And I know that I was with my friends earlier so please tell me what is going on."

The doctor shook his head again and gave Benji a look that made him seriously worried.

"I'm sorry, Ryan. You have been through a traumatic event, maybe you just need some time to take it in." He watched as the doctor approached the bed and grabbed something from his pocket; it looked like a syringe. "Maybe you should just get some more rest and relax." He spoke with a soothing voice as he brought the needle to Benji's arm. The tech tried to struggle and get away but it was no use. The drug quickly made its way through his system and he slowly felt it pulling him under. The last thing he saw before his heavy eyelids shut was the doctor smiling down at him. "Sweet dreams Ryan."

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

As soon as the team reached the safe house, Ethan stormed through the door first, making Sofia jump. She rose to her feet from the dining table and approached them. As Brandt shut the door behind them, she scanned the team quickly and noticed immediately that something was wrong.

"Where's Agent Dunn?" she turned to Ethan, having noted the grave looks on all three agents' faces. Ethan, who was walking across to the table with a laptop in his hands, spoke first.

"We think he has been taken by the men we are chasing."

"What? How?" Sofia gasped, looking at the file that Brandt now held out for her. She took it in her hands and opened it.

"That folder contains information on all of your missing people and the reasons why they are targeted." The analyst explained, not looking up from the floor. "He was one of the people they were after." Sofia lifted a hand to her lips in horror as she saw Benji's picture.

"I… I'm so sorry… I didn't-"

"We know." Jane interrupted, anticipating what she was going to say. "None of us did." She didn't really want to, but she found herself placing the blame on Sofia and her team. If they had been competent enough to find out this information themselves, the men wouldn't have got to Benji. She tried to stop herself from thinking that way, as who was to blame was moot. Maybe it was Sofia's fault. Maybe it was their fault for not being there to help Benji. Maybe it was Benji's fault for not defending himself enough. But at the end of the day, it happened. All that mattered now was that they got Benji back and stopped these men before it was too late.

Brandt grabbed the spare laptop and brought up the program to track Benji.

"What are you doing?" Sofia asked.

"Benji managed to grab a tracker before he was taken." Brandt explained as he typed onto the computer. "With any luck, we'll be able to find out where they took him… Damnit!"

"What?" Three simultaneous voices spoke up.

"The tracker can't be found. They must have destroyed it." Brandt dropped his head onto the table as the others sighed. Without that, they had absolutely no lead on Benji's whereabouts.

They had to find him.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o


	5. Chapter 5

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

When Benji began to stir again, he was once again alone. His mind was fuzzy and his vision blurred as he looked around the empty room. He noticed that the door had no handle on his side, causing his heart to beat slightly faster. What kind of hospital room had only an external handle? Even though his head was not yet clear, he knew he had to get out of there somehow; these people were telling him things he did not understand. He forced himself into a seated position, a little too fast, he noted, as the room began to spin. After taking a few seconds to calm his senses down, he swung his legs off the bed and reached to pull the drip from his hand. Glancing down, he noticed the white t-shirt and pale blue pyjama pants he was currently donning; he wouldn't exactly be inconspicuous but these people hadn't left his clothes in the room, so he would have to make do. He dropped onto the floor, the ground cold beneath his bare feet, however as he landed, his legs felt weak and his balance shifted, causing him to stumble. Grasping out for something to stop him, he felt his hands hit a tray, pulling it to the floor with him. The metal landed with a loud crash, causing Benji to wince. There was no way that would have gone unheard.

As predicted, the tech heard voices travelling down the corridor from outside. He gripped the bed again and began to pull himself to his feet, wobbling on his legs as the door opened.

"Ryan? What are you doing?" It was the doctor from before. "You should be in bed resting. Here, let me help you." The man reached out and grabbed Benji's arm, but the Brit yanked it away.

"No." Benji shook his head. "I want to go back to my friends. Please."

"Ryan, I'm sorry but I told you before, I don't know who you're talking about." The doctor gave him a heartfelt glance and reached for him again, but Benji pushed past him, moving towards the door. He had to get out of there. He heard the doctor calling for help, but he didn't stop, reaching the door and exiting quickly. Suddenly, there was a tall man in front of him, grabbing his arm.

"Let go of me." Benji demanded, trying to pull his arm from the man's grasp, but this time, he was unable to.

"Sir, please get back to your bed." The man said, manoeuvring him back towards the hospital room.

"No!" Benji suddenly began to struggle; he had to get away. "Get off me!" As he fought, he heard the man shouting for a nurse, who quickly joined him in trying to get Benji back to the room.

"Get the sedative!" The doctor shouted from the doorway, causing Benji to only fight harder. When he felt his arm pulled out in front of him, he tried to pull it back, not wanting to be drugged again.

"No! No drugs!" he cried out. "Please!" His begs were futile, however, when he felt the prick in his forearm and his world quickly began to spiral. He continued to kick out, but soon felt his limbs becoming weaker. It was almost as if they were detaching from his body one by one. As he felt himself collapse, strong arms grabbed him and lifted his limp figure, carrying him into the room just as everything went dark again.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

"So what do we know about the kidnappers?" Ethan asked.

"No more than we did before." Sofia replied.

"What about the victims?"

"Other than what we found in the files, nothing."

"Do we actually know _anything_ about _anything_?" Ethan's voice was harsh and the sentence was snapped, causing Sofia to look up, a hurt expression on her face. "I'm sorry. It's just…"

"You're worried about Agent Dunn, I understand." The FBI agent's voice was sympathetic in contrast to her IMF counterpart's. "I want to get him and the other victims back just as much as you do. But we need to work together on this."

"I know. I'm sorry." Ethan offered her an apologetic smile. Before either of them could say another word, a young FBI agent rushed in.

"Agent Matthews." His words were rushed and he sounded out of breath.

"What is it?"

"We think we have a lead on one of the missing persons."

"Benji?" Ethan asked, suddenly hopeful, but when the young man shook his head, his heart sank. "Who?"

"Eleanor Jeffries." Ethan and Sofia nodded at the agent's words and followed him into another room, quickly joined by Brandt and Jane. They found themselves staring at photographs of a young woman, bearing a remarkable likeness to Eleanor – except her long brown hair was now in a short blonde bob – walking down a street with an older couple. Another image showed her having lunch at an up-market café with the same couple; the smile on her face seemed out of place for someone who had been kidnapped.

"I don't understand…" Jane stared at the images in disbelief. "How can this be the same girl who was taken? She doesn't really look like your average abduction victim."

"What do we have on the couple?" Sofia asked, pointing to the man and woman, who both appeared to be in their late forties.

"Names are Aaron and Jennifer Cobb." The younger agent replied, handing a file to Sofia. "We have an address on them."

"Let's go pay them a visit then." Ethan suggested; it was no surprise when all three of his fellow agents agreed.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o


	6. Chapter 6

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

"Mr Cobb?"

"Yes?" The man had greying hair and piercing green eyes.

"My name is Agent Matthews, these are Agents Hunt, Brandt and Carter." Sofia held up her badge and Aaron nodded.

"What can I help you with, Agents?" he leant against the doorframe nonchalantly, however there was a hint of something that Ethan noticed in the man's eyes.

"If you don't mind, sir, could we step inside?" Sofia asked. "The matter is quite… private."

"Uh, of course." He stepped to the side and let them in. "Jenny. Put the kettle on." The four agents entered the rather grand looking house and followed Aaron's directions to the conservatory. Once they were seated, a woman with dark hair entered, carrying a pot of coffee along with cups.

"Mr and Mrs Cobb, we are looking for this young woman here." Jane held up one of the images, zoomed in on Eleanor.

"Why, that's Andrea." Jennifer exclaimed. Ethan and Sofia shared a glance at this sentence.

"Who's Andrea, Mrs Cobb?" Brandt asked.

"That's our adopted daughter." She explained. "She's only been living with us for a short time. Her parents were killed in a car accident. Andrea was lucky to get out with only minor injuries."

"Is Andrea home right now?" Ethan asked. "We would very much like to talk to her." The agents noticed the way the couple tensed slightly at the suggestion.

"I'm afraid she's not here right now." Aaron offered. "I'm sorry if this has been a waste of your ti-"

"Aaron!" His sentence was interrupted by a shout from upstairs. A few moments later, 'Andrea' entered the room. "Oh, sorry, I didn't realise we had guests."

"Uh, Andrea, these are some FBI agents." Aaron spoke rather awkwardly, knowing that he had been caught out.

"It's a pleasure to meet you." 'Andrea' gave them all a sweet smile.

"Andrea, darling, would you mind stepping outside?" Jennifer asked. "This is something between us and-"

"Oh, please." Sofia interrupted. "Let her stay. Since this matter involves her too."

"Me?" 'Andrea' asked, sounding shocked. "What can I help you with?" Jane showed her the same image.

"This is you, Andrea?"

"It certainly looks like me, yes." She smiled again. Jane then pulled another image from her file.

"And what about this?" This image, however, was of Eleanor. Her long brown hair falling past her shoulders.

"I…" 'Andrea' was stunned. "That certainly does look like me…" She turned to her adoptive parents. "Aaron? Jenny?"

"Uh…" Jenny mumbled, unsure of what to say.

"Mr and Mrs Cobb, I believe you have some explaining to do." Ethan raised his eyebrows at the pair as Aaron dropped his head into his hands.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

"Look, we didn't know that she'd been kidnapped." Aaron protested. Sofia and Ethan had him and Jennifer in one room, whilst Jane and Brandt were talking to 'Andrea' in another room.

"Well I'm not quite sure I believe you." Sofia stated, dropping the file on Eleanor that they had recovered before Benji's kidnapping onto the table. "These guys have been kidnapping people all over the place for the past few weeks now, the most recent being a federal agent." She knew Benji wasn't exactly that, however not being able to mention IMF left no other choice. "Why don't you tell us the truth on how Eleanor came to live with you?"

Aaron sighed, placing a reassuring hand on his wife's. "Look, if we explain this to you, is there any chance we can cut a deal?"

"Depends on how deep you go into this whole situation." Sofia replied. "Start talking and we'll decide if you get a deal."

"Alright." The man sighed. "Jenny and I lost a child about a year ago. Since then, our monetary situation has dropped. The grief of losing a daughter really takes its toll on you. Particularly my wife." Aaron threw Jennifer a heartfelt glance before going on. "We were broken both emotionally and financially. But then recently, a friend of ours caught wind of this business. People who had been in horrific situations in need of a home. They were having an…" he paused, clearly not wanting to say the next part. "An auction the following week."

"An auction?" Ethan blurted out. "You mean you bought Eleanor?"

"When we heard what she'd been through, we couldn't let her stay there." Jennifer explained. "After losing her family the way she had, she was left with no one. We gave them every last cent we had to give her a home."

"But what about this?" Sofia pointed to the highlighted line of 'Eidetic Memory and Exceptional Mathematical Skills' on her file. "This wouldn't have had any influence on why you chose her, now would it? What, with your financial difficulties, surely her skills would have been useful." They saw the way the couple's faces instantly were taken over by expressions of shame.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o


	7. Chapter 7

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

“I-I don’t understand…” ‘Andrea’ was sitting at the kitchen table staring down at the photograph of herself before the kidnapping. “I don’t remember any of this happening. Are you sure you have the right girl?” 

“Andrea, I know that this is a lot to take in, but you have to believe us.” Jane’s voice was soft as she placed a comforting arm on the girl’s shoulder. “Why don’t you tell us what you can remember?”

“I, uh, well it’s all a bit hazy. I was asleep for a lot of the time at the hospital. Every time I woke up, I wasn’t sure where I was or why I was there. The doctors explained that I’d been in a crash… my parents had been killed.” They saw tears beginning to fall so Brandt grabbed the nearby box of tissues.

“It’s ok, sweetheart.” He offered her a soft smile. “What happened next?” 

“One day, the doctor came in and told me that a family were going to take me in.” ‘Andrea’ wiped her eyes, removing the smudged mascara from her reddening cheeks. “They introduced me to Aaron and Jennifer. I’ve been living with them since.”

“Have you ever had to do anything for them? Regarding, uh, money or accounts?” Jane asked.

“Yes, I do their accounts for them and in return I don’t have to pay rent.” ‘Andrea’ looked confused. “How did you know that?” 

“Andrea, this is probably going to sound ridiculous, but before you woke up in that hospital, you weren’t Andrea. Your name was – is – Eleanor Jeffries. You’re a straight-A student with an eidetic memory and mind blowing maths skills.” Brandt explained.

“That… can’t be true… I-surely I would remember that.” 

“Unfortunately it is true.” Brandt went on. “You are really Eleanor and you have a mother out there worried sick about you. You went missing a last week and from what we can gather, you were taken because of your skills.” 

“What? But, why can’t I remember anything? Why don’t I know this?” 

“We’re not entirely sure how you came to believe that you’re someone else, but somehow, you did.” Jane watched as tears fell freely down the girl’s cheeks. “We’re so sorry that this happened to you.” As ‘Andrea’ broke down into sobs, Jane put her arm around her and glanced to Brandt. The analyst met her eyes and it was clear that they shared the same concern.

Was this what they had planned for Benji?

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Trapped. 

He couldn’t move. 

When he came to, the first thing Benji noticed what the fact that he couldn’t move. He was pinned down by something – a glance down once his eyes were open showed that there were a few thick straps tightly securing him to the bed. He began to struggle, instantly feeling worried that something was definitely going on. Why couldn’t he remember what had happened earlier? Everything was becoming more and more hazy – like a dream does once you wake up. The more you try to remember what happened, the more it slips away. Everything before waking up at the hospital was fuzzy; even bits of his time in that very room were becoming difficult to recall. 

“I’m sorry about those, Ryan.” Benji turned to see the doctor standing nearby. “We couldn’t have you hurting yourself like that again. We’ve had to stitch your hand up too. Seems that when you took that fall out of your bed you cut it up on the tray.” Benji lifted his head and looked down, noticing for the first time that his right hand was bandaged up. 

“Please, just tell me what’s going on…” Benji’s beg was little more than a whisper. “I’m scared.” The doctor sighed and walked over to Benji, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. 

“Ryan, it’s completely understandable for you to feel scared when you’re having trouble with your memory. It’s not uncommon when you receive a head injury. But that’s what we’re here for. To help you remember.”

Benji let his head drop back onto the pillow, trying to remember whatever he could. “M-my friends…” he breathed. 

“Son, you were unconscious for a few days. My guess is, your mind created these people while you were sleeping.” The doctor offered. “Can you even remember the names that they gave you?” Benji squinted, searching his mind. He knew that he should remember. What were their names? Nathan? No… Bill? That wasn’t it… He squeezed his eyes shut. Why couldn’t he remember names? Surely if they were his friends, he would remember their names. Suddenly it dawned on him; what if the doctor was right? Maybe he really had been in this accident. Maybe he just couldn’t remember anything; amnesia was likely after something like that. His head began to swim again and he opened his eyes to see that the doctor was injecting him again. 

“This is a lot to take in, Ryan. But we’re gonna help you through this. Now just get some sleep.” Benji welcomed the darkness this time. 

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this has taken so long; I was on vacation so couldn't update. I hope it's worth the wait though!

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Ethan and the others sat around the dining table in their safe house decided on how they would make their move. The deal that Aaron Cobb had wanted to make had been that he and his wife would receive a fair trial based on their involvement and in return, they would give the FBI all the information that they needed about where to find the kidnappers and their victims. 

“Alright, so we will have back up with us.” Sofia explained, pointing to the map of the warehouse they would find their goons in. “We’re not playing nice with these guys. We go in hard and get them. Once we storm the place, we’ll take care of the kidnappers. You three go look for the hostages. Once you have found them and secured the place, we’ll bring paramedics in to help.” The IMF agents nodded in agreement. They just hoped that they weren’t too late for Benji. 

Before they knew it, they were bursting into the warehouse with the FBI. People were scattering all over the place, however the Sofia’s agents hunted them down and had them on the floor in moments. Sofia turned to Ethan.

“Ok, go.” Ethan nodded back at her and the three took off through some doors. They found themselves descending some stairs into a corridor that ran along for about fifty meters and began to move along it. There were a few doors along the way, all of which were locked. Jane glanced through one of the small windows and gasped slightly. 

“Guys.” She whispered. When they turned to her, she pointed at the door. Within a few seconds, they had kicked open the door to find an exact replica of a hospital room. Monitors, IV drips, syringes… “What the hell is this place?” 

“I’m guessing this is what Eleanor was talking about.” Brandt walked over to the tray, on which sat a small container of liquid. “Shit.”

“What?” Jane approached him while Ethan stayed by the door. “What is that?”

“It’s Lorazepam.” Brandt lifted the vile of substance to show her. “It works as an amnesiac, a hypnotic, a muscle relaxant...” He had a further look around, opening a cupboard to reveal several more bottles of the same drug. “This is all that’s in there. If this is all they’re giving them, this would certainly explain the issues with Eleanor’s memory.” He offered, turning to Jane. 

“I’m not liking this at all… Correct me if I’m wrong, but they kidnap someone, dose them with this and then all of a sudden they believe that they’re someone else? It seems like they’re gaslighting them…" Jane’s voice was pained at the thought of anyone being treated like that. Particularly Benji. She really hoped that wasn’t the case, but her gut told her differently. Suddenly, there was a shout from outside and they spun to see Ethan running out of sight. Grabbing their guns, they followed him, seeing him disappear up the stairs again. When they finally found their teammate, he was in an office in quite a vicious fight with another man. The stranger was dressed in a doctor’s coat with ID on his pocket. Ethan caught a fist to the face, however fought back and retrieved his gun off the floor, aiming it at the man. 

“Who the hell are you?” the man asked. “What are you doing down here?”

“Looking for the people who you abducted.” Brandt snapped.

“Abducted?” the man scoffed. “We haven’t done anything of the s-”

“Don’t bullshit us.” The analyst continued to aim his gun at the man. He read the ID badge. “So, Doctor Blake. Is that even your real name?”

“To my patients it is.” Suddenly, his gaze was quite menacing. 

“Your plan was what? Grab people, alter their memories and then sell them to the highest bidder?”

“I’m giving these people new lives with people who really care about them.” Blake explained. “People who have lost family members are gaining new children, siblings, parents. It’s a fresh start for them.”

“And you just make money out of this. You screw with their minds and take the cash for it.” Jane spat.

“It pays the bills.” Blake almost sniggered.

“But who are you to decide if these people need a fresh start?” Ethan asked. “Our friend has a good life, a good job. He has friends who care about him, but you were just going to take that away so you could make some money.” The ‘doctor’ smiled evilly and Ethan could see Jane visibly tense up out of the corner of his eye. “Jane.” The team leader continued, not taking his eyes off their captive. “Go and find Benji.” 

Blake smirked. “You’re too late, you know?” He glanced at Jane with an evil glint in his eye. “You’re wasting your time.”

“Jane…” Brandt warned. “Go on.” She managed to tear her eyes off the man and nod at the analyst before turning and running out of the room. She descended the stairwell and found herself back in the long, narrow corridor, so she began to run along it, this time noting the names on the various doors. As she skidded around a corner, she almost collided with a rather large man.

“Excuse me, miss. What are you doing down here?” he asked, his voice deep and threatening. Clearly he had no idea of the siege going on above them.

“Uh… I’m looking for one of the… patients.” It killed her to refer to Benji as a patient like that. “Formerly Benjamin Dunn. They didn’t tell me what you call him now.”

“And why is that?”

“I have a buyer interested in doing a private purchase and I need to see if he is in a fit state to meet them.” Jane gave a flirtatious smile and fluttered her eyelids slightly. She really hoped that her lying would work and her heart raced when he seemed to not buy it, however when his expression changed, she sighed. 

“Alright, but be quick. I’m not really supposed to bring anyone down here.” 

“Oh, I understand, sir.” She spoke sweetly. “I do appreciate it.” They walked along the hall until they reached a door only a few from the end. The man reached down and grasped the keys off his belt. 

“Let me just find the right-” The guard was cut off when Jane swiftly rendered him unconscious and grabbed the keys as he crumpled to the ground. Fiddling with the various keys in her hands, she tried numerous ones out until she found the right one and pushed the door open. When it swung wide, Jane saw him and immediately felt sick to her stomach. Benji lay strapped down to a bed, his eyes closed and his body still. He looked so pale and unwell; a far cry from the happy, healthy agent that she knew. Taking a few steps closer, she reached out a hand and gently touched the cold skin of his arm. 

“Benji?” she whispered. Suddenly, his eyes shot open and he gasped, causing her to jump. “Benji, it’s me. It’s alright.” She smiled at him and felt relief wash over her, however that feeling disappeared completely when she saw the vacant, terrified and unknowing look in his eyes.

Benji looked up at the woman, trying to pull away from her touch. While there was something about her that seemed vaguely familiar, the lack of knowing who she was left him petrified. He feared that she was coming to hurt him; who was she? Why was she here? 

“W-who are you?” Benji asked, his voice trembling as he tried to pry her hands from his arm. “What do you want?” Jane was hit hard by these questions. She tried to hide the emotion from her eyes that threatened to take over every fibre of her being as he kept on asking her who she was. “Who are you?!” His voice was slightly louder the next time. 

“Benji… it’s me. It’s Jane.”

“Who’s Benji?” the Brit asked. “Why are you calling me that?” He was shaking his head frantically, his skin trembling slightly. Jane clenched her teeth together as she realised what had happened.

Benji was broken. They had shattered him into thousands of pieces and then put them back in the wrong order. Turned him into someone else.

“Sorry, I’m sorry.” Jane said softly, pulling her hands back. She had to figure out some way of getting Benji to go with her but in his current state, he didn’t trust her. Didn’t know her. “They must have given me the wrong name at the hospital.” She bluffed. “What’s your name, hunny?” 

“Ryan.” Benji replied, the fear still evident in his voice. “What hospital?”

“Well, the doctors here wanted to get you transferred, since you’re healing up quite nicely. They’ve sent me to take you there.” She smiled at him, begging and pleading silently that he would believe her. “I’m not going to hurt you, Ryan.” It broke her heart saying these things to him, but if it got him out of there, they could fix him later.

Or at least try their damned hardest to do so. 

“You promise?” Benji sounded so vulnerable and innocent as his eyes softened. 

“I promise.” Jane waited, not moving forwards until he gave her permission to. When he nodded, she sighed. “Ok, great. I’ll get you off here.”

“Will they be doing this at the other hospital?” Benji asked as she undid the straps.

“Doing what?”

“Tying me down…” He sounded afraid, causing Jane’s heart to ache even more.

“No, Ryan. No straps at this hospital. I promise.” She finally got all of them undone and held out a hand, glad when he timidly took it and slid off the bed. “Alright, I have some other doctors with me upstairs, so don’t worry when you see them, ok?” 

“Mm-kay.” He crossed the room with her and as they stepped outside, she was glad that he didn’t notice the unconscious guard to their left. They made their way down the hall until they reached the staircase, ascending it as swiftly as they could. When they arrived at the room, they entered, Jane instantly noticing the way Ethan and Brandt stared at Benji. Before either agent could say anything, though, Benji’s eyes widened at the sight of Ethan aiming his gun at the doctor who had been checking on him. “What’s going on?” he asked, his gaze flicking between all people in the room.

“Ryan, you have to run.” Blake said, suddenly. “They’re here to hurt you.”

“Don’t listen to him, Ryan.” Jane spoke sternly. She saw her colleagues’ confused expressions, but ignored them. 

“Ryan, please. Look! They have guns! You have to run!” Benji was breathing heavily, slowly backing away from everyone in the room.

“Stop it! Please!” he begged, his voice wavering as he looked from Jane to the doctor. 

“Ryan, just run, you can’t trust these people. They’re here to take you away.” 

“Ryan, that’s not true.” Ethan joined in, catching onto the fact that their friend wasn’t in the right frame of mind at that moment. “I promise you, we would never hurt you.”

“They’re lying, Ryan.” The doctor said. Benji began to shake his head, squeezing his eyes shut as he slowly backed up. Suddenly, Ethan ran at Blake, knocking him out with a punch to the jaw. 

“Oh god…” Benji turned and made to run out of the room, but Brandt had crept around, grabbing him in his arms. “Let me go!” he screamed, fighting against the analyst’s grip. “Let go! Help!” Brandt’s heart raced as he tried to ignore his friend’s screams. Breathing heavily, he reluctantly placed his hand over Benji’s mouth to silence him. 

“I promise you, we are not going to hurt you. Please just calm down.” He spoke directly into Benji’s ear, his voice soothing, however it didn’t seem to work. “Jane? Please?” He looked up at her and she knew what he meant. She hated the idea, however it was their only option of getting Benji out of there. Reaching into her jacket pocket, she pulled out a tiny syringe and approached. She saw the panic in Benji’s eyes as he struggled against Brandt’s hold.

“I’m so sorry.” Her voice broke as she plunged the needle into Benji’s exposed neck, watching his movements grow slower until he fell limp in the analyst’s arms. It was then that Jane’s tears began to fall. Brandt guided Benji to the floor as Ethan pulled out his phone. “He didn’t even know who I was… who he was…” Jane shook her head as she spoke before looking up at Brandt. “They got to him, Brandt.”

“I know, Jane.” Brandt offered her a sympathetic look.

“We were too late for him.” 

“No, we’re gonna get him back, ok?” the analyst pulled her into his arms, glancing across at Ethan, who was holding the phone to his ear. 

“Sofia, it’s Ethan.” The team leader said. “Yeah, we got him, but he needs a hospital.” Ethan ran a hand through his hair as he looked down at Benji. “Yeah, great. Thanks.” He hung up and turned to the others. “Sofia and her team are on their way, they’ll be here as soon as they’ve secured the other workers. You take Benji to the van and I’ll meet you there.

Brandt nodded and let go of Jane, bending down to lift Benji into his arms.

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o


	9. Chapter 9

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Three days.

It was three whole days between Benji waking up at IMF’s hospital quarters and him actually letting anyone in the room. He was even terrified of the doctors who were trying to help him. Ethan and the others had to watch through the window as the tech fought the doctors when they tried to give him a sedative to assist his recovery. Benji had pulled his knees into his chest and backed up against the wall, begging them to not give him anything.

“No!” he cried out. “No, please.” He shook his head and squeezed his eyes shut and eventually, the nurses backed away. As they exited the room, Ethan pulled the main doctor aside. 

“Doc, while Benji was in that place, his kidnappers drugged him repeatedly. I think it would be unwise to give him any forms of narcotics at this stage.”

“I understand.” The doctor nodded. “But if he becomes too restless, we will be forced to sedate him.”

“Yes, but please only use that as a last resort. We need him to remember that he can trust us.” 

When Benji finally allowed the team to enter the room, they decided to only go in one at a time; they didn’t wish to overwhelm him considering he would still have been terrified of them. Ethan went in first, however Benji never said a word to him.

“Look, Benji, I know you don’t trust us, but just remember this.” He said, remaining standing. “We care about you and we want you to get better.” Ten minutes of silence passed before Ethan left the room. Next to visit was Jane. She sat on the very edge of his bed while he remained curled up next to the pillow, refusing to make eye contact with her. 

“We would never hurt you, you know?” she offered him a comforting smile but he still stared across the room at the window. “You may not believe it right now, but we’re your friends.”

“I don’t have friends.” Benji spoke up for the first time in several hours.

“Of course you do, Benji. You have plenty of friends.” Jane countered, not understanding why he thought that. He finally looked up at her with pain and sadness in his blue eyes.

“If I did, then why wouldn’t they come and see me? Why didn’t they come to visit me after the crash?” His words cut Jane right to the core and she couldn’t prevent the tiny gasp escaping her lips. 

“B-Benji, we didn’t know where you were.” Jane explained. “If we did we would have come straight away.” But by this time, Benji had already turned away. All Jane could do was stand up and leave the room, hoping that he wouldn’t see how much it hurt her to hear that. 

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

“Hey.” Benji looked up from his bed to see Brandt walking into the room. It had been almost four more days since his conversation with Jane and he was still struggling, however had grown to trust them more. 

“Hi.” Benji replied, sitting cross-legged on his bed. 

“How are you feeling?” Brandt sat down and placed an envelope on the bed. 

“Uh, better, I guess.” Benji shrugged. “Having people mess with your head isn’t exactly a walk in the park. I don’t even know what to believe anymore.”

“I know, but I’ve brought a little something that might help.” Brandt smiled and opened the envelope, pulling out several photographs. “These are some memories that we think are special and, I dunno, maybe if you have a look at them, you might think of something.” He held out the first image, which showed Benji and Jane. The pair were wearing ski-masks and thick jackets; it looked like the image was taken by Jane herself. Her arms were extended in front of her while he had his arms around her shoulders in a loving embrace. They were both smiling like they had not a single care in the world. “That was last year. We had some time off so we headed down to New Zealand for a few weeks.” Benji smiled at the picture.

Next, there was a photograph showing all four of them together. Benji had his hand over his face and a beer in his free hand. Ethan, Brandt and Jane were all seemingly laughing at him for one reason or another. “This one was at your housewarming party. You’d just moved into your new apartment and we came round for some drinks.”

“Why do I look so…. Annoyed?” Benji asked, looking up at Brandt.

“Well, Ethan knew how much you dislike ‘The Time Warp’, so he put it on your stereo.” Brandt chuckled. “You really weren’t too impressed.” He then handed him another photograph. This time, it showed Ethan and Benji, arms around each other’s shoulders. Ethan had a large smile on his face while Benji had his mouth open wide in a joyful laugh. “This is another from your housewarming. This was after you forgave him for the Time Warp incident. Also, after several more beers.” 

The next image was handed to Benji and he had to laugh a little. It showed him and Brandt standing on a stage singing into microphones with their arms around each other. 

“That was at my birthday last November. Ethan had this very drunk idea to go to a karaoke bar at 1am.” Brandt seemed to shudder at the memory. “We somehow ended up on stage singing a duet of ‘Me and My Shadow’.” 

“Why on earth would we let that happen?” Benji smiled. 

“I’m not entirely sure. Though I think it had something to do with those jelly shots Jane was supplying us with.” Brandt shrugged. “Though you surprised me that night. You never told us you could sing. I myself like to think I’m the karaoke king of the group, but you my friend come pretty close.” 

The pair sat and discussed the memories for some time, before Benji began to feel tired. Brandt stood up and scooped up the images, but Benji grabbed his hands.

“Can you leave them? Please?” he looked up into Brandt’s eyes. “Just in case they help more.” 

“Of course, Benj.” Brandt placed them on the bedside table and, after placing a comforting hand on Benji’s shoulder, walked across to the door. “Jane’s gonna stay with you tonight, she’ll be here soon. Just in case you need her.” 

“Thank you.” Benji spoke softly and gave him an appreciative smile. 

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

That night, Benji tossed and turned more than any of the previous nights. Prior to then, his sleep had been occupied by nothing more than fear and darkness, but this night was different. Various images shuffled before him, as if someone had taken scenes from a film and mixed them around. None of them seemed to make any sense, but they just kept coming. 

_“Barton in position.”_

_“Stark and Romanov entering.”_

_“This is Banner. I am right where you want me.”_

Benji saw things in front of him. A computer, other equipment. A screen showing someone approaching the van from outside. There was more than one of them. He felt fear grow inside of him. 

_Shit… Benji looked around for his gun, grasping it in his hand quickly. As the strangers got closer, the tech grabbed a small tracking device and put it in his pocket before typing faster than the speed of sound onto his laptop._

_Suddenly, the doors burst open. He aimed his gun at them but before he could pull the trigger, something hit him in the head. He stumbled, hitting his forehead on the edge of a metal box. As his world spun, he felt rough hands grabbing him so he stood up straight and threw punches, ignoring the blood trickling down his face. He saw one man fall backwards out of the van and managed to kick a second before diving to grab his gun from the floor, but he wasn’t fast enough. He felt someone grasp his ankle and pull him backwards along the floor of the van. Just as he reached the edge, he flipped himself over and kicked out, catching the man square in the chest. He took the opportunity to stand, but a punch to the jaw sent him falling back down, landing on his back in the van again. It was then that he noticed there were three men._

_One grabbed his legs, effectively restraining them, while the second pinned his arms above his head. Just before he could say something to ask his teammates for help, the third man clamped a hand over his mouth and viciously ripped off his microphone and earpiece. The tech continued to struggle, but mere moments later, a jab in the side of his neck startled him. His limbs became weaker and he felt his mind drifting away. The last thing he remembered was a bag being placed over his head before everything went dark._

Benji’s heart was racing yet he remained asleep, finding himself back in the hospital room. He saw familiar things, familiar faces. 

_“Ryan, I’m sorry but you must be confused.”_

_“My name isn’t Ryan, it’s Benjamin.”_

Suddenly, Benji’s eyes shot open and he sat bolt upright in his bed. He must have cried out something because before he knew it, Jane was across the room and by his side.

“Benji, it’s ok, I’m here.” She said. “You’re safe.”

Benji turned and looked at her, his eyes wide and his skin trembling. He was breathing heavily and only one word found its way out of his mouth.

“Jane?” 

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o


	10. Chapter 10

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

“I remember it all now.” Benji sat on his bed, cross legged, hands clasped in his lap as his three team mates sat around him. “The van, the doctor, the drugs…” He wasn’t looking at anyone in particular, merely staring at the bed. “I remember it all and now all I want to do is forget…” 

The others weren’t sure of what to say. After everything Benji had been through, there probably wasn’t much they could say or do to make him feel better. If they were able to make him forget what had happened to him, they would do so in a heartbeat. But for now, all they could attempt was to be there for him and comfort him should the need arise. 

“Benji, it’s ok.” Jane said softly. “You don’t have to talk about it.” Silence fell for a second as Benji nodded his head. 

“It feels like… When you go away for something…” he said after a few moments. “You could spend weeks away from home and so much could go on, but when you get back, it’s like it never happened… Like you never left…” He paused, looking down at the hospital band on his wrist. It was definitely his name. Benjamin Matthew Dunn. That was who he was. “That’s what this feels like. Despite what happened, it feels like none of it did…. But it’s still there…” He then looked up at Jane, fear and hurt in his eyes. “Will it always be there?” 

Jane didn’t know what to say to this. Looking to Ethan and Brandt, she saw the same looks of despair and heartache on their faces. After a few seconds of silence, Brandt leant forward and reached out, taking his friend’s hand in his own. 

“It’ll get better.” He spoke softly. “And we’re gonna be there for you every step of the way. Alright?” Benji glanced up at him, pained blue eyes meeting comforting ones, and he nodded. 

“What about the girl?” Benji suddenly asked. “The girl we were looking for… Is she alright?” 

Ethan smiled softly. Typical Benji, asking about others before himself. At least that was a good sign that their Benji was back.

“She’s doing fine. She’s back with her mother.”

“Good. Good.” Benji replied, looking down at where Brandt’s hand was still in his own. Hopefully things were going to get back to normal. It would take time, but he was glad to be back with his friends. 

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o

Benji was sitting in the bar waiting for Brandt to arrive. The analyst had promised to buy Benji a few rounds once he came off his pain medication and he was running late. 

As the tech sat on his barstool, swilling his beer around in his glass, he sighed. It had been some time since the ordeal, but almost every other night he found himself back in that room. He’d wake up during the night and feel ghostly restraints holding him down. He’d feel the pricking of a needle that wasn’t there and would hear an echo of the name Ryan in his mind. 

But he knew that it was all over now. That was the main thing.

As he finished the last drops of his drink, there was a sudden shout from behind him. 

“Ryan!” Benji froze. He didn’t dare turn around; he merely stared at the wall behind the bar. That name. Someone was calling that name. “Ryan!” 

There it was again. 

Benji’s hands were trembling, his eyes wide and glassy and his breathing was a little laboured. 

That name. That one word that had haunted him for the past few weeks and- where was Brandt? Why hadn’t he shown up yet? 

_Oh god…_

Suddenly it dawned on him. What if the doctor had been right? What if there was no Brandt? What if all of that had just been a figment of his imagination? The recovery had happened, but Ethan and Jane and Brandt were all just parts of his mind helping him along…

“Benji?” He jumped at the sudden voice next to him and when he turned his petrified gaze to his right, he saw Brandt standing there. “Are you alright?” The analyst reached out and placed his hand on Benji’s arm. He was there. He was real. Brandt wasn’t his imagination. “Benji?” The older man was slightly firmer with the name this time. 

Benji blinked a few times and nodded, glancing around to see that there were two men talking nearby, one of whom was being referred to as Ryan. “Yeah, yeah… I’m fine. Sorry, was miles away.”

“That’s ok. I’m sorry I’m late.” Brandt said, hopping up onto the barstool next to Benji. “Just as I was leaving my neighbour asked for a hand with something. I would have called but it just slipped my mind.”

“Hmm… It’s ok.” Benji replied with a forced smile. He breathed in deeply, relieved that everything was ok. “So how about that drink?”

o.o.o.o.o.o.o.o


End file.
